title: Reasonability and conscientious objection in medicine: a reply to Marsh and an elaboration of the reason-giving requirement.
abstract: In this paper I defend the Reasonability View: the position that medical professionals seeking a conscientious exemption must state reasons in support of their objection and allow those reasons to be subject to evaluation. Recently, this view has been criticized by Jason Marsh as proposing a standard that is either too difficult to meet or too easy to satisfy. First, I defend the Reasonability View from this proposed dilemma. Then, I develop this view by presenting and explaining some of the central criteria it uses to assess whether a conscientious objection is proper grounds for extending an exemption to a medical practitioner.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Card
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003242:Conscience; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D016079:Refusal to Treat / Q000941:ethics*; D013850:Thinking
keywords: conscience; medical professionalism; philosophy of medicine